Portuguese metal quartet RAGE AND FIRE present their debut album “The Last Wolf”, through No Remorse Records to be released on 23rd June 2023!
Following the demise of RAVENSIRE in 2020, Mário Figueira (guitars) and Rick (bass and vocals) formed RAGE AND FIRE. After a self released demo in 2021, they recorded this debut album which has been picked up by No Remorse!
This is why I love writing for this site, I get tuned to the very latest bands and releases that demand attention, and this is no exception to that! The quality of the music provided here is incredibly high, its well thought out, mature, catchy and entertaining throughout the entire runtime. You’ve got 8 slabs of pure metal, tinged with power metal and laden with classic metal hooks. The vocals are delivered with conviction and the solid production retains it’s ferocity from start to finish.
Album opener “Rage and Fire” kicks things off with a typical start, a melodic intro leading into the main bulk – headbanging riffs and an infectious chorus. The riffing here, and throughout the entire duration straddles the line between metal and hardrock, with some great shred solos. The vocals have a heavy tone, with a good amount of grit. 2nd track “20th Century Man” storms along, with riffing not far removed from any RUNNING WILD album and again blessed with an impressive solo section. The drums here are pretty relentless whilst keeping a lot of character. Next, “Shapeshifter” is a little more ambitious in its composition, and so far the most power influenced, steeped in melody and an anthemic chorus. The midpoint gives way to an epic solo and stomping riffage.
“The Summoning” carries on the overall dark theme of the album, with tension building riffs and mature lyrics. This track reminds me of BLIND GUARDIAN at their peak, with similar vocal delivery and melodic yet aggressive guitar riffs. “Tell The Tales (Of Medusa)” begins with a clean intro before leading into a galloping main riff and huge chorus, this is the kind of track that will really excel in a live setting. Stacks of melody and air grabbing vocals are the order of the day here! The oddly named Ebb and Flow (Wax and Wane) has a magnificent main riff which is incredibly addictive, enhanced by that snarly guitar tone the band have captured. The twin guitar attack is used excellently throughout here.
Mário Figueira – Guitars
Fred Brum – Guitars
Vasco Machado – Drums
“Black Wind”, again is very similar to RUNNING WILD not only in name but sound, with that same melodic gallop they’re known for, however this track is rather different sounding to the rest of the album, with a much heavier approach and more of an evil overtone, and tells a fantastical story nicely. It works nicely to break away from the straight up metal delivered before, and the vocalist knows his limits and stays within them, and every line is delivered with passion and conviction. Album closer and title track “The Last Wolf” is the longest track on the album, and a suitable strong end to this great album. The riffing here is pure metal, and the drums really get a chance to shine here as the track is of a slower pace than the others. The solos hear are also excellent, demonstrating the axemen’s ability to shred as well as take time over the individual notes.
Conclusion
RAGE AND FIRE deliver a strong heavy power metal album without relying on the usual tropes. This mature and excellently produced album demands to be listened to, offering a good range of dynamic moments without compromising the heaviness.
THENWOTHM Score: 9/10
The Nwothm 
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